eBay wants your iPhone 4s

Until September 24, Canadians have the option to trade in their smartphone through eBay’s InstantSale program and receive up to 20 per cent more than they usually would for their phone.

For example, users can now get a maximum of $404.40 for a 64GB iPhone 4S. Before this promotion began they would only receive a maximum of $323.52 for the phone. eBay instant sales is an electronics trade-in program that makes it easy for consumers to get money quickly for their old smartphones and other electronic devices.

“Just in time for the iPhone 5’s arrival eBay is offering top-dollar for smartphones,” said Andrea Stairs, country manager of eBay Canada.

Users must inform eBay of the condition of their smartphone. They then receive a free shipping label and have to send the smartphone in to eBay. Five days later, after the device has been assessed, the trade-in value is deposited into the customer’s PayPal account.

The chart below reveals the program’s trade in values for most major smartphones.

Device Maximum trade-in value

Apple iPhone 4S $404.40

Apple iPhone 4 $218.76

Apple iPhone 3GS $105.00

BlackBerry Bold 9900 $214.20

BlackBerry Torch $180.60

Samsung Galaxy S III $420.00

Samsung GalaxyNote $336.00

Samsung Galaxy S II LTE $252.00

So, if you’re thinking of picking up an iPhone 5 and need some extra cash, eBay’s trade-in program might be a more reliable and safer option than selling your old smartphone to a random person on Kijiji or Craigslist.